Chapter 30

“I can’t get it to sit still.” Anya complained, “Isn’t there anything smaller?”

“No, you’ll just have to bear with it for now,” Emma responded as her eyes skimmed through the manual. There was much that she had to cover but not nearly enough time.

The child adjusted her helmet again only to have it fall forward and hinder her sight. No matter how many times she tried, she could not position the headgear in a way where it would stay put. Emma paid no attention to the child’s constant struggles.

“Ah, I give up.” Anya threw her hands up and fell back onto the makeshift cushion she crafted from salvaged material. Her helmet rolled off her head.

The girl stared at Emma, who was still absorbed in the manual she held in her hands. Anya’s eyes then shifted to their find, the device that would hopefully bring about their salvation.

Armored vehicles were a common thing, especially for carriages used for caravans, but none were as massive or as well-built as the ‘tank’ that was posterized before her. The metal was welded near perfectly and the bond in between each plate was smooth, as if tediously sanded by skilled artisans. Instead of wheels, its bulky body laid on two parallel tracks that were mostly exposed from the side. Still, the vehicle seemed sturdy with all its extensive armor.

“Boris, how are things looking?” The woman walked toward the tank and began to acquaint herself with its features. “Does it still function?”

Boris grunted as he pulled himself out from the hatch. Without his hat, his clean-shaven head was open for the world to see. His face held a five o'clock shadow which extended all the way to the scar on his cheek.

Wiping away the drips of sweat on his face with a dirty towel, the man shook his head. “What do you want from me? I am old man.” The man blinked, which further emphasized the crow’s feet that presented themselves unwelcomely at the edge of his eyes. “Parts are in good, it should drive. Then again... I  have no idea what I am doing.”

“I hope you’re just joking.” The woman quickly flipped through the pages of the manual. “It says here that it’s operated by a four-man crew: driver, gunner, loader, and radio operator. Boris, can you drive?”

“Ha, only when I am drunk!” Boris bursted into laughter.

Sigh. “I wish you would take this more seriously,” Emma said as she massaged her temple. She then turned her attention to the lazing child. “Can you handle being the loader?”

The girl quickly sat up.

“Loader? As in loading the cannon? Is it heavy?”

“For me, no. For you, malen’kiy, well… it is big bullet.” Even though Boris’s laughter ceased, there was still humor in his voice.

Anya contemplated for a moment. She was not fond of physical labor nor was she confident in her own strength. Also, she preferred to avoid any strenuous activities, if possible. “I’m not sure… Can I be the gunner instead?”

“That depends, Anya. How good is your aim?” The woman questioned with one brow raised.

“Well… Umm…” With the tips of her index fingers pressed together, Anya remembered her previous attempts with the pistol. The shame forced her to avoid Emma’s piercing gaze.

“Ha, it is like kitten bite her tongue. No trust in her own skill, I see.”

The child’s reaction said it all, Emma figured as much when she first saw how Anya handled a gun. “Boris, do you think I can take up both roles?”

“No, cannon separate seats in turret. You will have difficult time.”

“I’ll do it!” The child suddenly yelled with resolve. “I mean… I’ll try my best… but no promises that I’ll be any good…”

“Anya, you’ll be fine.” Emma approached the girl and began to gently rub her head. “Just be careful, they’re live rounds, you know.”

“Do you know that for sure, tovarishch? It would not be good if we cannot shoot back.”

“Well…” Emma turned around. “It’s the best chance we’ve got.” She grabbed a round from the cushioned crate they had pried open. “Come on, let’s get the shells loaded in the tank first.”

…

“Are you sure about this?” Boris’s voice echoed over the intercom. The driver’s seat was separate from the other three, therefore it would have been difficult to communicate without the headsets integrated into their newfound headgear. “Is there nothing else we can use? If vehicle break down halfway, then we are fucked.”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I rather take my chances in here than out there on foot.” Emma skimmed through a few final lines before closing the manual shut. She had faced the armored walker to reach this museum. It was mere luck that they had survived and the woman doubted that Lady Luck would favor them again. “Anya, lower that hatch and load in a shell.”

“How do I do that?”

“It’s this lever.” The woman leaned over and pulled up on the lever next to the loading mechanism. Since the lever was not designed for the gunner’s use, Emma had to stretch her body in an awkward position.

“Umm…” The child glanced at the many rows of color-coded ammunition stashed away in a compartment to her side. “Which one do I load?”

“What do you mean which one?”

“They have different colored tips, which one am I supposed to load?”

“Just pick one.” Emma demanded as she fumbled around with the gunner’s controls. Though the woman seemed as if she had no idea what she was doing, she managed to activate the two screens that were structured before her. “Boris, start the engine.”

Unsure of what the symbols and colors meant, Anya elected the easiest shell to grab.

Harumph! The girl grunted. “It’s… It’s heavy…” After some struggling, she was able to place the round onto the semi-circle platform. “What do I do now?”

“Push the shell in and pull down on the lever.”

Anya did as she was told. As she pulled down the lever, the steel platform lifted up and blocked the barrel, locking the shell within. “It’s done!”

“Good job, Anya.” Emma tightly gripped onto the controls and aimed the cannon, which caused the turret to turn. “Alright, stay clear of the barrel, Anya! I’m firing a test shot.”

“You’re doing wha-”

POOM!

The sudden loud noise and shock caused the child to jump with a frightened squeal. Outside, the round was projected to the nearby wall at amazing speeds. In fractions of a second, the wall Emma had selected as her target was nowhere to be seen, but instead an opening to their escape was formed. Inside the turret, an empty casting was automatically ejected from the barrel while the loading mechanism lowered itself in preparation for the next shell to be supplied.

“Yes!” A wide smile appeared on Emma’s face as she cheered. “The rounds are still alive!”

“Do you not find it strange for this thing to be fully functional?” Boris was skeptical, even if the museum was dedicated to weaponry. “I do not think this is normal.”

In fact, Emma did find it strange. A few documents scattered on the floor suggested that a demonstration was to be held for the public, but she wondered why they would use live rounds. “Maybe those soldiers wanted to utilize it, but didn’t get around to. Just think of it as a blessing, alright? Now, get this thing moving!”

“I am trying, but this thing-”

VRROOoooommm-VRRoooomm!

As the engine gave its mighty roar, Boris, too, cheered joyously. “Ha, I am good mechanic, no?”

“Anya, what color was that?” Emma asked..

“T-The shell? It was y-yellow!” Anya, clearly shook up, stuttered her words.

“You’re shaking! Will you be okay?”

“Yeah, I think…” Anya answered hesitantly, “I think I’ll be fine…”

“Alright, let’s get out of here.” Despite what she had commanded, the tank sat still and unmoving. “Boris...?”

Loud audible gulps could be heard over the intercom.

“Are you… are you drinking?” The woman yelled in disbelief.

“What? It makes me happy man.”

After a short moment of delay, the tank began to move toward the hole in the wall.

“Anya, load in another.”

“Y-Yes!” Anya withdrew another yellow-tipped round and loaded it into the barrel. “It’s in!”

The tank slowly proceeded halfway through the wall and came to a halt as Emma popped out of the hatch to scan the area. Using her feet, she tapped the driver’s shoulder, indicating to him that the area was clear. As the tank treads began to move, Emma lowered herself so that only the bare minimum of her head was exposed. Still, she put herself at a higher risk compared to the rest of the crew, but unfortunately, the poor visibility of the turret left her no other choice.

“Do you see anything?” Her headset hissed. The bipedal machines that had harassed them at every corner of their journey were aplenty. However, they appeared to have no reaction to the armored vehicle, not even as they were being crushed by it.

“No, keep moving forward.” Emma vigilantly surveyed her surroundings. Although the tank was heavily armored, she lacked the confidence as to whether it could sustain a direct hit from the ‘Sentinel's’ heavy cannon. “Boris, try to avoid running over the vehicles. The last thing I want is to get stuck out here.”

“Da.” At every obstacle, the tank jolted, throwing its crew members forward before performing an almost stationary turn; it was far from a comfortable ride. Emma tolerated it at first, but after a while, the woman quickly lost her patience when her head slammed into the side of the hatch.

“Damnit, Boris! Are you driving with your teeth?!”

“Ha, good one.” The man laughed. “Would you like to try? This thing handle like rock.”

“Wait-” Emma’s eyes widened as she stared off into the distance. “Boris, stop the tank. Now!”

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop.

“What is it? Did you see it, tovarishch?”

Emma lowered herself back into the turret hurriedly before closing the hatch above her. “To the left of us. I don’t think it has spotted us yet.” She gripped her hands firmly on the gun controls and cautiously reoriented the turret. “Boris, be ready to move out when necessary. Anya, prepare yourself to load in the next shell.”

“Y-Yes!” She responded with her arms still shaking. The child readied her hands and awaited the loud bang of the cannon.

Emma stared at the two screens before her. She then pressed her eye against the aiming apparatus, which granted her with the much appreciated zoom as well as marking to orient her aim. According to the screens, the Sentinel was roughly 120 meters away. The six-legged armored machine strode slowly and cautiously, as if it was searching for something. Compensating for distance, Emma elevated the cannon until the reticle aligned with the their opponent’s central body.

The woman calmed her breathing and carefully led her reticle slightly in front of her target.

POOM!

With a deafening clamor and bright orange explosion, a bolt of light arched its way across the desolate field. It took a mere second before the shell struck the unaware Sentinel, resulting in a blast that could be felt even in the interior of the tank.

“Hit!” Emma shouted with pride.

“You got it?!” Anya stared at the woman with widened eyes.

“Nice shot, tovarishch. We should celebrate with more drink, no?”

Although the rest of the crew cheered, Emma remained vigilant. She found it strange that the machine did not collapse or even stumble after such a grand explosion. Using the scope of the aiming apparatus, the woman continued to monitor the Sentinel. Steadily, the smoke cleared.

“Anya, load the next round!”

The command caught the girl by surprise as she sat there, confused.

“QUICKLY!”

Anya immediately snapped out of her daze and grabbed the next shell.

“Boris, full speed ahead on my signal!”

To Emma’s dismay, the armored walker stood tall and enduring. Their initial strike only left a miniscule dent in the Sentinel's thick armor.

“It’s loaded!”

PLINK.

“Fuck! Anya, that’s a dud!”

The girl scrambled to pull the lever, opening the hatch and allowing the shell to fall lifelessly onto the floor. She pulled out another and loaded it into the cannon.

Upon hearing the child’s words, Emma fired another shot.

POOM!

This time, the round zipped through the cool, crisp air and struck the top of the turret, leaving another explosion in its wake but no visible damage.

“Damnit! Boris! GO! GO! GO!”

Right when the treads began to turn, the Sentinel fired its own menacing cannon.

Pwoomb!

Time had slowed itself to a crawl. Emma stared in horror as an equally terrifying ball of light whistled toward them.

BOOM!

The round landed on the concrete ground beside them, resulting in a massive blast of smoke and fire. With the crew stunned by the shockwave, the tank remained briefly idle before quickly accelerating again.

“Anya?!” The woman screamed, but the child did not answer. Instead, the girl stared blankly at her trembling hands.

“ANYA!” Emma grabbed onto Anya’s shoulders and shook her violently, breaking her from her daze. The child’s eyes were fixed on the woman and hoped for an answer to this madness.

“ANYA, SNAP OUT OF IT!”

“Huh?!” The girl came to her senses and patted her head to realize that her helmet was missing. “What-”

“LOAD THE NEXT SHELL!”

Anya sprang into action and loaded the cannon with her jittering limbs.

“L-Loaded!”

Despite being on the move, the turret remained relatively stable. Emma remembered the gyroscope mechanism she had read about in the manual and was grateful that it still functioned properly.

POOM!

The mighty cannon fired once again. Her aim was a bit off and the round clashed with one of the Sentinel’s colossal legs. When the smoke cleared, she found that only a small dent was inflicted.

PWOOMB!

With every shot fired, the Sentinel’s menacing war cries crept closer and closer as it strode with its quick, yet unwavering, steps. Without witnessing it for themselves, the crew knew that the explosions were inching nearer with every iteration.

“Anya, load a different one!”

“Wh-Which one?! I don’t know which one!” The girl frantically sorted through the varying ammunition.

“JUST PICK ONE!”

Anya grabbed one with a white tip and clumsily loaded it into the cannon. She shouted confirmation as soon as the chamber was closed.

“L-Loaded!”

POOM!

A bright glowing ball of orange light shot out of the barrel at a much slower speed. The projectile bounced harmlessly off of the Sentinel’s armor and fell to the ground, still shining.

The woman gritted her teeth and cursed internally.

“That was a flare, give me something else!”

“B-But I don’t kno-”

“NOW, ANYA!”

The child’s quivering fingers slid across the ammo rack, searching for a color they had not yet used before. Near the bottom left were rows upon rows of black-tipped shells.

PWOOMB!

Landing near the rear of the tank, the explosion rocked the entire vehicle, causing Anya to drop the shell she had in her hands. As she hastily attempted to pick it back up, the girl accidently slammed her head against the loading mechanism, resulting in a loud bang. She let out a painful cry, then hunched over and covered the bruise on her head with both hands.

“It hurts, it hurts!”

“Anya, are you okay?!” Emma asked with a quick glance. Although she wanted to, the situation did not permit her to comfort the whimpering child. “I really need you to-”

The engine began to emit erratic popping noises as the tank decelerated to a complete stop.

“Boris? This isn’t funny. Get this tank moving!”

“Blyat, the engine is stalling.”

“THEN FIX IT!”

“You think I am magic man?! I am here and engine is back there!”

“I DON’T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU ARE, BUT IF WE STAY HERE, WE’RE ALL GOING TO BE FUCKING DEAD!”

The whirls and coughs of the engine could be heard as Boris desperately attempted to start it up.

“Anya, I really need that cannon loaded RIGHT NOW!” Panic started to sink its teeth into Emma’s voice. In front of them, the Sentinel aimed its weapons and readied itself for another shot.

Bearing with the pain, Anya grabbed the dropped round and loaded it into the the cannon. “I-It’s ready!”

POOM!

Without a moment to spare, she fired the cannon directly at the armored crawler’s main body. In a speed that seemed faster than the speed of sound, the ejected shell crashed straight into the Sentinel's body, leaving a circular hole with a glowing orange outline where armor once held firm.

Still, that was not enough. Its legs ceased to move, but its turret still rotated.

Pa-Pa-Pa-Vrooomm

A miracle had occurred, the engine started to rumble as the tank quickly gained speed.

“Ha, she still has fight in her!” Boris cheered.

The woman was also overjoyed, but it was not over yet. Just penetrating the armor was not enough to finish the machine. They needed something that would inflict heavy damage.

“Anya, load the yellow shell, quickly!”

The girl scrambled to load the round into the cannon chamber before she signaled that the job was done.

“Boris, I need you to circle around and stop right in front of that thing.”

“What?! You are crazy!”

“Just trust me on this!”

The tank sped up and circled around the Sentinel, and all the while centering its turret at the machine’s body. The Sentinel’s guns followed the tank and attempted to do the same.

“STOP NOW!” Emma shouted. Boris slammed on the brakes as hard as he could, causing the entire tank to come to a screeching stop.

“Come on, come on…” The woman mumbled as she aimed her shot. There was no room for error as the shot had to be perfect. “Just a little bit more…”

“What are you doing? Shoot!”

“Almost…” The Sentinel’s gun was now just inches from aligning with the tank. “Brace yourselves!”

POOM! ……PFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!

The shell forced its way past the Sentinel’s thick armor and through the exposed gash, burying itself deep into the machine’s body before exploding, resulting in a jet of yellow fire that spewed out of its rupture. As the internal temperature and pressure of the machine rose rapidly, the stored ammunition ignited.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

It created a second and even more jaw-dropping explosion. A detonation so powerful, it forcefully hurled what was left of its body directly onto the ground. Emma watched as the turret flew miles into the open air, landing somewhere beyond the horizon. Streams of fire and ember rushed out of the numerous compromises on its devastated armor.

Emma slowly sat back and sunk into her seat. Using her sleeve, she wiped away the rivers of sweat that had flowed down her face.

“Is… is it over?” The child questioned, her arms still tightly wrapped around the yellow-tipped ammunition.

The woman shot a glance at Anya and let out an alleviating sigh. “Yes… It’s over…”